For a week, countless letters and gifts poured in for me.
They were mostly from people whose names I didn’t know and whom I’d never exchanged greetings with. Occasionally I glimpsed items sent by those followers of Rilke with whom I’d only been friendly in childhood. I spent several days struggling to sort out what to ignore, what to reply to, what invitations to accept, what items to return, what to reciprocate, and so on.
“Finally, Young Master’s reputation has been properly established!”
Even Jake, who had stayed up sleepless beside me, seemed to smell of ink. She said I should rather be pleased about it.
“For an Omega of a count’s family, this amount is basic! From now on, there should be even more!”
“But this isn’t entirely thanks to my own reputation.”
Whether I looked at it straight on or turned it over, it was because of Benedict.
“Why are you stating the obvious! Do you think the letters coming to me are coming to see me? It’s all thanks to His Lordship that I receive countless invitations! And do you know why invitations come to His Lordship?”
“Because hyung is too handsome?”
I said it from Jake’s perspective.
“That’s also true, but wouldn’t it be because of Lord Mikhail’s dazzling wealth? I would love that person even if I became a penniless beggar, but if that really happened, the correspondence coming to His Lordship wouldn’t even amount to half of half!”
She knew properly, surprisingly.
Two days after that.
Mikhail, who received letters thanks to his wealth, and I, who received letters thanks to Benedict, were once again sitting facing each other in a carriage.
It was a carriage heading to the great mansion.
A downpour was beating down outside the small window. Between the clamorous sounds of rain hitting the carriage roof, Mikhail had been expounding since earlier.
“Straighten your shoulders proudly!”
Listening to those words only halfway, I gazed outside worriedly.
The carriage had just passed Bris Bridge and was climbing the path between the oak forest in front of the great mansion. Beyond the autumn forest swaying in the wind and rain, a tributary of the Roen River flowed with fierce currents. It was where I had saved Benedict this past spring.
It probably hadn’t rained like this on the day of the talks in the past. The Iota talks had been moved up a bit from the past schedule, and the reason was not unrelated to the Regent Duke.
“Everything is decided by expression and attitude!”
Mikhail’s words were still continuing.
“You must act like you have more than you do so others won’t look down on you!”
Lost in other thoughts, only such sentences reached my ears. I nodded and answered carelessly.
“Yes, so that’s why you always become a different person in high society.”
I realized there had been only the sound of rain for a while.
“…Uh.”
Mikhail was looking at me with a seething face. His cane was raised for the first time in a while. Just then the carriage stopped and I burst out through the door.
The coachman quickly brought a large oiled canopy.
“You go in first! We two will go!”
Mikhail shouted, and the two of them grabbed either side of the canopy and ran between the rain streaks. The nobles arriving before and after us were in similar situations.
The mansion of the largest scale within the system was spouting up fine water droplets as it took the fierce rain. I climbed the entrance stairs with water streaming down them. From the wide-open main gate, auxiliary lighting like a halo was leaking out. A waiting servant quickly took the canopy we had used and put it away.
Other servants brought plenty of towels. I straightened my appearance mixed among the nobles wiping off the rainwater.
“Straighten your shoulders!”
Mikhail said the same thing again. “I can’t help it if I’m wiping.” I muttered weakly while patting the hem of my pants with the towel I’d received.
“You may proceed to the central hall.”
Following the guidance of the attendant who had taken the towel, I entered the hall where the talks were being held. Naturally, it was the great mansion’s largest banquet hall.
The great mansion’s largest banquet hall, which I was visiting for the third time this year alone, was decorated completely differently from before when it had been sparkling and luxurious. In the center, heavy-looking long tables were connected, and the dozen or so large windows reaching up to the high ceiling had only heavy crimson velvet curtains neatly tied without decoration. Through the large latticed windows outside, I could see rain still pouring down tremendously.
The long table already had quite a few seats filled. As I sat in the seat marked for the Meyer family, Mikhail constantly minded other people’s gazes.
“Joachim, more confidently. Like someone who deserves to be loved! While enjoying the attention!”
“I don’t think you need to do that.”
I indicated with my eyes the people just now entering the hall.
“The Iota envoys have arrived.”
The newly arrived guests were completely stealing everyone’s attention.
They were Iota’s envoys in splendid attire.
“Am I at talks now, or at a ball?”
Mikhail lamented. The foreigners with dark hair and sand-colored skin were dressed in dazzling outfits to that degree.
However, unlike their attire, the Iotan people had belligerent eyes as if they would start combat at any moment. They stood there for a moment, slowly looking around at the imperial people before taking their seats. Polite throat-clearing sounds could be heard here and there. I didn’t know what their goal was, but they had certainly succeeded in creating an uncomfortable atmosphere even before the talks began.
Finally, the Regent Duke made his entrance.
Unlike usual, he was accompanied by many key figures.
“I am Clemens Yorick.”
Duke Yorick, who exchanged handshakes with the Iota envoys, sat at the head seat opposite them. He exchanged glances with the Iotan directly across from him and slightly curved his lips. Perhaps due to prejudice, that appearance felt exactly like plotting a conspiracy.
“Will the owner of the mansion who prepared this excellent venue for talks give the opening remarks?”
Duke Yorick looked to one side and the designated lady stood up from her seat.
“I thank everyone who attended this occasion despite the foul weather.”
A dress covering up to the neck, a kind-looking yet cold impression. Watching the lady beginning the opening remarks, I turned to Mikhail in surprise.
“Hyung-nim. That person is the owner of the mansion…”
I trailed off, realizing my mistake.
“That’s right. She’s Count Quina’s younger sister. It seems she’s appearing in his stead.”
Mikhail, who had been answering, suddenly turned to look at me. His deep blue eyes held a suspicious light.
“Didn’t you say you stayed under that lady during the summer?”
The woman now giving the opening remarks was Benedict’s close associate who had taken care of me along with Miss Sana during the summer outer palace stay.
‘Young Master has been staying at the great mansion. And I will take on the role of a maid serving Lady Celtic Quina.’
Before using illusion magic to transform into an anonymous woman, Miss Sana had explained it that way. Even while listening to her explanation, I had vaguely assumed there was a collaborator inside the great mansion.
I hadn’t known that the young lady was Celtic Quina, Count Quina’s younger sister.
“That’s not it. I was surprised because I didn’t know she would appear in a place like this.”
When I made an excuse, Mikhail crossed his arms, saying “True.”
“It is surprising since she hasn’t shown her face for several years. Where did Count Quina go?”
In any case, it had been questionable even in the summer. Count Quina was one of the Empress’s prominent close associates, yet I had doubts about whether it was all right to pretend I had stayed at such a great mansion. I couldn’t ask in detail since there seemed to be many secrets.
Meanwhile, Lady Quina’s opening remarks, her hair still neatly swept up, were being concluded.
“I am delighted to contribute to arranging this glorious occasion for the Empire and the Kingdom. I hope this conference will be of great help to both nations’ development.”
The brief greeting was concluded. The polite applause died down and the Regent Duke stood up in turn. The deep crimson ceremonial robes he wore today caught my eye anew as if bothering me.
Just as the regent, who looked excited at a glance, was about to make the opening declaration.
The attendant guarding the door let out a short exclamation.
The Regent Duke’s frowning gaze turned in that direction, and over his shoulder, the closed entrance to the hall opened again.
A small stir spread through the hall.
“A carriage wheel got stuck in a puddle, so I’m late.”
A clear voice cut through the commotion. Long strides firmly stepped on the hall’s luxurious carpet. The Regent Duke’s face visibly hardened.
“Well, what brings Your Highness Benedict here?”
Mikhail poked my side with his elbow.
“Joachim. Joachim, did you know?”
Of course I knew. I had heard it was so in the past as well.
To be precise, I had made sure Benedict would definitely come this time too. Just in case the past changed, I had risked being suspected and given hints to Benedict and Count Leroy.
“…I pay my respects to the Empire’s light.”
A bit late, the Regent Duke showed courtesy.
As if he hadn’t had time to wipe off the moisture, Benedict lightly shook the rainwater off his shoulders. Even so, with the bronze ceremonial cloak hanging down his back, he looked perfectly suited to the occasion. His attire and gait didn’t look careless at all, to the point that it was hard to believe he had experienced even minor difficulties arriving here.
Taking advantage of the time continuing to show courtesy to the prince, I observed the Iota side. They subtly exchanged glances of unknown meaning.
“I heard that Your Grace the Regent would be directly conducting these talks.”
As Benedict sat beside the regent, Iota’s Foreign Minister asked in fluent Imperial language. The man with a bushy beard had an expression of interest. The Regent Duke said nothing.
“That’s correct.”
Benedict answered.
“Duke Yorick will be doing it.”
At those words, the regent’s yellow eyes flicked toward around Benedict’s arm then turned back forward.
“I see, Your Grace, won’t you begin?”
The Foreign Minister looked back at the Regent Duke.
“Or is there some reason His Highness the Prince shouldn’t be present…?”
As if he’d thrown an amusing joke, the foreigner laughed heartily. It was a show-off tone that he didn’t care about this situation at all, and soon the Regent Duke smiled the same way and said, “Not at all.”
“Since it’s come to this anyway, let’s change the schedule and proceed.”
The Regent Duke, clearing his voice, stood up again as before.
“I ask the Iota delegation for their understanding for a moment.”
Everyone looked at Duke Yorick with puzzled faces. The Iota envoys showed no particular reaction.
“I wish to convene an emergency noble council.”
At Duke Yorick’s sudden announcement, murmuring spread through the hall once again.
Duke Yorick paused for a moment and gazed at the people seated at the long table as if observing or perhaps expecting. When the commotion subsided, the Regent Duke opened his mouth again like the protagonist of a play.
“It is a serious matter, and we have sufficient quorum. By fate, even the current chairman and vice-chairman of the council are in attendance. As you all know, I also have the authority to propose major agenda items, so I hope you will understand that I had no choice but to do this in order to decide the Empire’s proper future as quickly as possible.”
“What on earth could this be about?”
The elderly Marquis Heisilt, who had been serving as chairman of the noble council for several years, asked as representative.
I too gazed at the Regent Duke while struggling to suppress my anxious insides.
“It concerns His Highness the noble Prince.”
The anxiety only deepened.
Something concerning Benedict.
Behind the statesman who had commanded from the Empire’s peak for years, yet had been cowardly, I could see outside the window where rain streaks still poured down.
“Since the person himself has come, let’s have him hear it directly. …Your Highness Benedict.”
The Regent Duke’s voice was trembling strangely.
Without opening his mouth right away, Duke Yorick smacked his lips for a moment. Savoring the silence and taking a deep breath, he spat out:
“Have you by any chance lost your magic power?”
And for just a brief moment.
Only the sound of rain pattered and filled up in the hall.
